Georgia's slice of the Peach State NFL pipeline

Good morning! We are inside four months until the Georgia football team kicks off the season against Oregon in Atlanta.

Last weekend, we saw 15 Georgia players go in the NFL draft.

Only seven of them were from within the Peach State borders. That says something about how attractive the program is to recruits not only in the Southeast but across the country.

No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker hails from Thomaston. First-rounder Quay Walker is from Cordele and another from round one, Devonte Wyatt, is from Decatur. Punter Jake Camarda, offensive lineman Justin Shaffer, Jamaree Salyer and tight end John Fitzpatrick also are from Georgia.

Georgia led all states with players drafted per capita with 1 in every 369,376 people. Alabama (1 per 418,690), Louisiana (1 per 465,776), Maryland (1 in every 617,722) and Arkansas (1 per 752,881) followed, according to data released Thursday from the NFL.

Texas led all states with 32 draft picks. Georgia followed with 29. California and Florida had 22 each.

As we wrote about a week ago, Shaffer is from Cedar Grove High in Ellenwood which ended up with three players being drafted. Three other schools in Georgia had multiple draft picks: Archer in Lawrenceville, Cherokee in Canton and Marist in Atlanta where Fitzpatrick played.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart touched on the fertile recruiting base when he spoke to the state lawmakers on March 1.

“Opportunity to do business in this state has grown every year thanks to the people in this room. It attracts population,” he said. “Populations’ good for football. The more I can recruit this state, the better off we’re always going to be. The better you make this state, the better off our football team’s going to be. So I look at this as a team effort.”

The state of Georgia had four first-round picks, just behind California’s five. Texas also had four.

UGA calendar

Men’s tennis vs. Alabama State in NCAA championships, 2 p.m, Friday, vs. Florida State or Georgia State, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Softball vs. Ole Miss, 6 p.m, Friday, 1:30 p.m, Saturday, 2 p.m, Sunday

Baseball vs. Vanderbilt, 6:30 p.m, Friday, 2 p.m, Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

Women’s tennis vs. Charleston Southern in NCAA championships, 1 p.m, Saturday, vs. Northwestern or Wake Forest, 1 p.m., Sunday

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia's slice of the Peach State NFL pipeline